Transition To Love
by DramaQueen95
Summary: After several rocky confrontations and tender moments, Roy and Artemis realize there might be something more behind their attitudes, that they might mean so much more to each other. But, the transition to love isn't always easy, is it? RoyXArtemis
1. Chapter 1

So, this is my new fanfiction for Artemis and Red Arrow, who make such a cute couple because of their stubbornness and constant arguing. Please review guys! Thanks! BTW- In this one, Artemis is a bit older but the events and stuff are the same. So, all the episodes happened but, instead of being 15, she's 18. So, just add 3 years to everyone's age. This takes place a bit after the events in Insecurity.

* * *

"Because no one trusts me!" Artemis yelled, glaring at her mentor. Green Arrow sighed before looking at his 'niece.'

"Are you sure about this? It's going to look even more suspicious if you just suddenly disappear without a word." Green Arrow replied, watching as Artemis shook her head. She had already made up her mind.

"No, Ollie. This is what I want. Besides, your precious Red Arrow isn't helping the situation much." She grumbled the last part, a scowl on her face. Ollie looked at her before sighing and turning towards Batman.

"What do you think?" He asked, watching as Bruce sighed and shook his head, not replying.

"If she wants a break, I think we should give it to her." He finally replied, watching as Artemis' eyes grew wide. She obviously thought he wouldn't agree.

"I still don't see how taking a break will help." Ollie said, looking towards Artemis, who merely sighed.

"Because, I need a break or I will do something I'll regret," She whispered, closing her eyes. Her meeting with her father drifted back to her mind along with his words to her.

"_You tried, baby girl. You can fight Jade. You can fight me. But, you can't fight who you are. Time to switch sides, Artemis. You'll never be one of them. You belong with us." _

After that 'pep talk' with her dad, she felt even more unsure about her place on the team. Did she really belong with them or was she merely fooling herself, trying to make herself feel like she was making a difference? That she was different from her parents and sister when she really wasn't? That she was a hero rather a villain?

"Regret? What happened, Artemis?" Ollie asked, watching as Artemis had an internal battle. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and shook her head.

"It's nothing." She lied, not looking him in the eye. He knew it was difficult for her to share her feelings and decided not to press the issue.

"Really? Because, it doesn't seem like nothing." Batman said, not willing to let it go as easily as Ollie. Artemis looked at him before sighing.

"I just realized that I might not actually belong with the Team. Maybe I'm just not meant to be a hero. Maybe, it's all a waste and I'm just supposed to be a villain." She replied, careful to leave her meeting with Sportsmaster out of the conversation.

"So, you think you're meant to be a villain?" Batman asked, turning towards her.

"I don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed to be, but it just seems like no matter what I do, I'm still not accepted. The Team has suspicions about me now and don't fully trust me. And, I know I don't belong with the League of Shadows. I don't know where I belong. So, I just need some time to sort things out." Artemis hoped this was a good enough reason for Batman. Apparently it was because he just nodded and didn't press the issue further.

"Fine. Wayne Industries is sponsoring a school trip to Europe, which is going to last for 2 weeks. With your grades and scholarship, you wouldn't have a problem getting to go." Batman said, watching as her eyes grew wide before she shook her head.

"As fun as it sounds, I can't leave my mom. I have to stay in town, but I just don't want to stay there." She sighed, turning away. All she wanted was a break, even if it was only for a few days. She just didn't feel like facing the Team, especially a certain archer.

"There is one other place." Ollie said, looking over at Artemis, who looked at him with wide eyes.

"Really? Where?" She asked, obviously interested and happy that there might be somewhere she could relax.

"It's in Gotham, not very far from your place. I use to crash there years back. But, it's boarded up now and old. But, it's a good place to relax, clear your mind." Ollie watched as she slowly smiled and realized that it was perfect for her.

"Thanks." She didn't have to say anything else. He understood everything she needed to say with that one word.

"It's settled then. I'll tell the Team that you're taking an indefinite leave of absence. Official business for me." Batman said but stopped after he noticed both Arrows shaking their heads.

"The Team is going to wonder why you sent only me. It would be better if GA said it's official business for him." Artemis said, with Green Arrow nodding beside her.

"It's true. Just tell them I said that it's official business for me." Green Arrow said.

"What about your protégé, Red Arrow?" Batman asked Green Arrow before Artemis scoffed.

"He'll just have to deal with the fact that Green Arrow likes me better than him." She replied, smirking internally as she thought about how pissed he would be when he found out Green Arrow chose her and not him.

"Very well. Then, it's settled. I'll inform the Team and tell them that Red Arrow will take your place for the period you're gone. However, you're not to exceed a month. Anything more and you're suspended. That means no missions for 2 months. Understood?" Artemis nodded before turning towards Green Arrow.

"So, where exactly is this place of yours?"

* * *

When Batman said a month, he hadn't really thought that she would actually take a break for a month. Artemis, however, was more than happy with her month off.

She leaned against the couch in Ollie's old apartment. Although it hadn't been inhabited for so many years, the furniture was still in pretty good shape and there were no funny smells or leaks. Overall, it was a peaceful place where she could be alone and just train and relax without having to think about anyone whispering behind her back or looking at her with suspicion.

Naturally, she couldn't just take a break from crime fighting altogether. No, she went with Green Arrow on patrol every once in a while, careful to stay in the shadows and out of sight.

The first night she had gone on patrol with him, Red Arrow had shown up. Needless to say, she had made herself scarce, blending in with the shadows while listening to the conversation between the two Arrows.

"I bet you already know that your newest protégé disappeared. Kinda funny how quickly she disappeared after the failure of the last mission." Roy remarked. Artemis could hear the sneer in his voice and was sure he had that annoying cocky grin on his face. How her fists ached to wipe it off and hopefully leave a bruise.

"Are you trying to imply something?" Green Arrow asked, pretending not to have noticed that Roy had just accused Artemis of being the mole. Roy, however, quickly retracted his statement and shook his head.

"I just think it's strange that she would disappear all of a sudden." He replied, noticing the change in Green Arrow's voice.

"Really? Because, she is on special business for me. So, I think it's kind of stupid to just throw accusations without knowing all the facts first, don't you?" Artemis had to bite her tongue to keep from snickering. Take that Red Arrow, you arrogant jackass!

"Oh." Was all Red Arrow could say before he turned and disappeared.

"You can come out and for god's sake, let out your laugh before you explode!" Artemis came out of her hiding spot and laughed, watching as Ollie shook his head.

"Really, you're so immature sometimes." He grumbled as she sobered up and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. I just think it's good that someone finally put that idiot to his place." She smiled at Ollie, who merely turned and motioned for her to follow him. However, he didn't bother to hide the smirk on his face.

After that night, she didn't have to worry about Red Arrow showing up during any patrols. In fact, she knew he was probably still too embarrassed to show his face. Not that she had a problem with that. The less she saw of him, the better it was for her.

Sighing, she stood and looked at the clock. She had only a few more hours before her month ended and she was forced to head back to Mount Justice. However, she found that she actually missed it, from Megan's perky and happy attitude to Wally's annoying habits and stupid jokes.

Just as she headed into the bedroom, her phone rang. Grumbling to herself, she answered, wondering who would be calling her at 11 in the night.

"Hello?" She answered the phone, turning and heading into the room.

"Hey babes." The voice on the other end replied. Artemis' eyes grew wide before she recovered.

"Dimitris, wha-what's up?" She asked, plopping down on her bed.

"Nothing. Just wanted to know if we're still on for lunch tomorrow." Her boyfriend replied. Artemis opened her mouth to answer before closing it and remembering that her month was over by then.

"I don't know if I can. I'm going to be pretty busy tomorrow." She sighed, knowing fully well it might be a while before she could get a chance to even see him.

"No worries. We can move it to another day then." Although she knew it might not be possible for her to get a break for a while, she agreed.

"Hey, I need to hit the sack. I'll talk to you later. Night." She said her goodnights and hung up the phone.

Dimitris Alexandros was without a doubt one of the sexiest guys she had ever met. With his shoulder length, dark brown hair, hazel-green eyes, amazingly sculpted body, and Mediterranean skin tone, he should have been named Apollo instead. The fact that she had met him at the gym just added to his appeal. She just happened to walk in on him bench pressing his entire weight.

Naturally, when she had done the same thing, it intrigued him and he became interested in the beautiful blond who could bench press her own weight. It wasn't long before he spoke to her and eventually asked her out to lunch. For a month, they had been hanging out and a few days ago, he finally summoned the courage to ask her out. Of course, she had said yes. After all, she did have a thing for Greek guys.

However, now that she was returning to the Team, she would have to either find some way to balance school, hero work, and a boyfriend or let the latter go since letting the other two go was out of the question.

But, she would deal with that when the time came. All she wanted to do now was sleep.

* * *

"Recognized Artemis. B07." The Computer said as she entered Mount Justice.

"Artemis!" A voice squealed as she stepped away from the tube. She looked up and saw Megan running towards her before the alien girl stopped, her eyes wide.

"Artemis, wha-what did you do?" Megan asked, looking at her friend.

"Hey Megan, did you say Artemis is ba-" A Robin dressed in civilian clothing began saying but stopped as he saw Artemis. She could tell that his eyes were wide behind his glasses.

"Artemis, you-your hair. It- that is," He stopped, turning towards Megan who was now smiling, having recovered from the shock.

"You're a brunette!" Megan yelled, running towards her friend, who smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Megan. I'm a brunette now." Artemis smiled, passing a hand through her hair, which was no longer in a ponytail. After she had decided to take a month off, she also decided to change something about herself. What better than her hair, which served as a constant reminder of who her father is?

Of course, she wanted a nice auburn color. Some people had told her that she would look good as a redhead, but in her opinion, there were one too many redheads on the Team.

So, she settled for the medium brown hair, not too dark and not too light, and decided to let it out of her usual ponytail. Now, she had bangs on both side of her face, her right one almost covering her right eye. Looking in the mirror, she had felt different and realized that she was indeed different from both her father and sister. The fact that she was making an effort to be a hero proved it.

"It looks amazing." Megan couldn't stop smiling, which meant that she was either really good at lying or it actually did look nice.

"It-that is, you look pretty." Robin said as she looked at him. She hid her smile as she saw a slight blush appear on his cheeks.

"Recognized Kid Flash B03 and Red Arrow B06." The Computer said. Everyone, but Artemis, turned as Wally and Red Arrow entered.

"What a fun day. Don't you think so, Red?" Wally asked, smirking at Roy, who narrowed his eyes. Wally chuckled before noticing that there was someone else in the room.

"Who is this beautiful lady?" Wally asked, moving towards the stranger. Red Arrow looked towards the girl, who did seem familiar.

"Hello, gorgeous. My name is," Before he could finish, the girl cut him off.

"I know who you are, Wally." When she turned around, both Wally's and Red's eyes grew wide.

"Artemis?" Wally finally managed to ask, somewhat recovering from the shock. Suddenly, he smirked and looked at her from head to toe.

"You look _nice _as a brunette." He remarked, not noticing her rolling her eyes. She shook her head and then seemed to notice Red Arrow, who was still looking at her.

"I take it your business for Green Arrow is finished?" He asked, his voice lacking any emotion. She looked at him for a moment before responding.

"As a matter of fact, yes. It is." She knew everyone could feel the tension in the room.

"Hey guys, who wants cookies? I just baked them." Miss Martian said in an attempt to break the tension.

"Sure. I'm starved." Wally replied while Robin nodded.

"Great. What about you, Artemis?" Megan asked, looking over at Artemis, who shook her head.

"I actually have something I need to take care of." She replied before heading towards the tube.

"How interesting. I wonder what that could be. Meeting someone?" Red turned towards her, the sneer on his face full of contempt and suspicion.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm meeting my boyfriend for lunch." Artemis had to control herself as she saw the look of surprise cross his face.

"Boyfriend?" Wally asked, obviously shocked. Artemis nodded at Wally.

"Oh my god! That's amazing! When? Who? How does he look? Is he nice?" The questions were pouring out of Megan's mouth as she tried, and failed, to contain her excitement.

"About a week ago. Dimitris Alexandros. Greek god. Yes." Artemis replied with a smile before she turned and made her way up to the tube.

"Is he cute?" Megan yelled one last question.

"Cute? More like scorchingly hot." was Artemis's reply before she was transported out of Mount Justice leaving behind an excited Megan, a somewhat puzzled Robin, a shocked Wally, and a confused and conflicted Red Arrow.

* * *

"That was awesome. Although, I think I enjoyed the shooting range more than lunch." Artemis smiled as Dimitris walked her to the door of her apartment building.

"I knew you would. After all, you're not like most girls, are you?" He asked, smiling at her.

"You have no idea." She thought but merely chuckled at him in response.

"I'll see you later." She smiled at him before her eyes grew wide as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. She returned the kiss, slowly at first, before she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned it with an equal amount of fervor.

"Night." He pulled at away, smiling at her flushed face before she cleared her throat and nodded.

"Ye-yea. Good night." She turned and practically ran into the building. Dimitris watched her retreating figure before chuckling to himself and leaving.

* * *

Red Arrow observed the scene from the shadows. He hadn't meant to intrude. He was patrolling and just happened to see Artemis and her 'boyfriend.'

Naturally, his curiosity was piqued and he hung around to witness the scene. Quickly, he realized that she wasn't lying when she said her boyfriend was gorgeous. This Greek boyfriend of hers had muscles to rival his own and looks to match.

His eyes grew wide as he saw Dimitris press forward and place a kiss on Artemis' lips. Subconsciously, his hand tightened around his bow as he saw her return the kiss, tentatively at first before she threw caution to the wind and kissed him.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw her flushed face as they pulled apart. Quickly, she said good night before she turned and headed into the building.

He had never seen Artemis behave like such…such a girl. Suddenly, he caught himself. Why did he care who she dated? Who she blushed for? Who she kissed?

"I don't care." He scoffed before he turned and disappeared into the shadows. He didn't, right?

* * *

Red Arrow let out a yell as the figure and Cheshire both turned to ice.

"Damn it!" He ran towards where the pair lay, now ice, and let out a sigh as he realized that they were gone. What did Cheshire want and who was this new villain she had paired up with?

"Did you get them?" Green Arrow asked as he appeared besides Red Arrow, Artemis following close behind.

Roy let out a growl and shook his head.

"They turned to ice just as I shot an arrow. The same trick they pulled back at the warehouse." He turned towards them, his eyes moving towards Artemis.

"Did you get Sportsmaster?" He asked, watching as she shifted her weight before shaking her head.

"No, he got away. Pulled the same thing as last time." She replied, not catching his eye.

"Really? I find it funny how they all managed to escape. Same as last time, right?" He asked, his tone biting. Her head shot up and an angry fire blazed in her eyes.

"What are you trying to say? That I had something to do with this? That I helped them get away?" She yelled the last part, her anger too much for her to contain. Roy, however, seemed unaffected as he moved towards her, their noses almost touching.

"I just think it's suspicious that every time you decide to come along on a mission involving them, they both always manage to escape." He retorted, watching as she narrowed her eyes.

"Will you two stop it and grow up? We all screwed up. Hell, I'm as much at fault as Artemis is." Green Arrow said as he pushed the two archers away from each other.

"You're right. It's your fault for putting your 'niece' on the Team and thinking we could tru-" Roy began saying but didn't have a chance to finish his statement as Artemis' fist collided with his face.

"Shut up." She growled as she pulled her fist back again and threw another punch. Roy caught this one before dropping it and wiping his bloody nose.

"Well, I think I struck a nerve." He said before he turned and began walking away. A pissed off Artemis watched his retreating figure, determined not to let him have the last word.

"Maybe if you hadn't abandoned him, you wouldn't have to worry about him putting his untrustworthy niece on the Team." Artemis spit, watching as he tensed up before he scoffed and disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

He didn't know why, but Roy found himself at the nightclub. He needed some way to let go of the stress and dancing seemed like a pretty good way of doing so.

As he entered the club, the last person he expected to see there was Artemis and her boyfriend. Imagine his surprise when he saw the couple in the middle of the dance floor, Dimitris' hands on Artemis' waists as she moved her body to the beat.

_Hot Tottie- Usher ft. Jay-Z _

_I see you like it tough,  
I hear you baby  
Claiming you a bad bitch, show me, baby  
I'm a wild boy  
You tryin' tame me, baby  
The way I get it from the house  
Can you keep me faithful?  
Got a lot of girls  
Got a lot of flava  
That's why when I hit 'em they all need to return the favor  
Yeah I hear you, what you sayin'  
I hear you babe  
That you get with me to the point where I'm screaming your name_

Roy tried to avoid looking at Artemis' hips as they swayed but his eyes were magnetically pulled towards her. However, he caught himself and turned away, heading towards the bar.

"Rum and coke on the rocks." He ordered as he took a seat.

"Can I get a rum and coke on the rocks and a Kamikaze?" A voice asked beside him. He turned and saw the Greek god standing next to him, a smile on his face. Roy turned away, staring straight ahead before his eyes landed on Dimitris' left arm, which was bandaged. How strange.

"Thanks." Dimitris took the drinks before turning and heading back towards a dancing Artemis. Roy watched as he retreated and his eyes grew wide as he saw a scar on the right side of Dimitris' face.

Suddenly, he stood and began walking towards the couple before he stopped. No, he was being stupid. There was no way that Dimitris was the guy who was with Cheshire, this Charon.

_I'm a choosey lover  
I pick 'em up  
Talk a lot of shit, I hope its good as you putting out  
Yeah, you fancy, huh  
I'm tryin' pull you out  
I see there's a lot of girls standing round  
She say…  
You think you're the best  
And I only want the best  
So I say, ha _

He watched as Artemis took the drink and downed it before smiling at Dimitris. Suddenly, she pulled him close and whispered something in his ears. He smirked at her before nodding. Chuckling, she turned and headed towards the bathrooms.

"What a night." Artemis grumbled to herself as she splashed water on her face. Grabbing a paper towel, she began to wipe her face.

"You seem to be having fun." A voice suddenly whispered in her ears. Without warning, she reached out and grabbed the figure, delivering a punch as she did so.

"Whoa, easy Tiger." The person chuckled. Artemis' eyes grew wide as she looked down at the figure, who was smirking up at her.

"You? What the hell is wrong with you? What are you doing in the women's bathroom?" She yelled, glaring down at Red Arrow, who shrugged.

"Just needed to talk to you." He replied, watching as she gave him a look as if he had spouted 2 extra heads.

"And you couldn't find a better time? You needed to talk to me while I was peeing?" She asked, watching as his eyes grew wide before he scoffed.

"Oh shut up. I'm just here to warn you about that little boyfriend of yours." He said. Suddenly, she smirked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Really? And why are you interested in my love life all of a sudden?" She asked, folding her arms.

"Don't flatter yourself. I don't like potential traitors." He replied, watching as the smirk left her face and a glare replaced it.

"All I'm saying is that he might not be who he claims to be." He said before he turned and began to walk away.

"And why do you care?" She suddenly asked, causing him to stop.

"I don't. He's a liar, just like you. I guess likes attract. I'm just warning you. If he does anything to hurt my friends, you'll both pay." He said before he turned and opened the door.

"Whatever. The traitor can take care of herself." She said to him. He didn't reply.

"And, just so you know, it's opposites attract." She called after his retreating form.

* * *

Soooo, what do you guys think? I hope they're in character and it's believable. I just love them! Reviews are welcome as is constructive criticism! Until my next update,  
-DramaQueen95


	2. Chapter 2

So, thanks for all of the reviews! I'm glad people are interested in this story. I don't usually update this often, but this story's been on my mind for months. I'll try to update as often as I can, but I can't make any promises. But, I will finish this story. That I promise. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter and remember to review!

* * *

"Oh, he is just gorgeous!" Both Megan and Zatanna squealed as Artemis showed them a picture of Dimitris. After bothering her for two days straight, Artemis finally decided to bring in a picture of her mysterious boyfriend to satisfy her friends' curiosity.

"Does his abs actually look like that?" Zatanna asked as she ogled at his perfectly toned chest. Artemis smiled and nodded proudly.

"Rock hard. Trust me, I know." She replied sheepishly, causing both girls to smirk at her.

Although they paid the girls no mind, Artemis knew that even the guys were interested in Mr. Mysterious Greek Hottie, as both Zatanna and Megan referred to him. Both Conner and Robin were nearby, watching as Megan and Zatanna had a giggle fest and indulged their curiosity about Artemis' new girlfriend.

"You know, from their reactions, you would think they're the ones dating him." Conner mumbled while Robin nodded.

"Women." He replied, shaking his head.

Red Arrow was leaning against the wall, paying no attention to them. However, he wasn't deaf and heard each word. Including Artemis' comment about Dimitris' abs. Which really weren't that impressive as he had concluded after catching a glimpse of the picture.

"I've seen better abs. For example, mine." He heard Wally mumble to Artemis after he took a look at the picture before scoffing.

"Yeah right. In your dreams." Artemis smirked at his dejected look before returning her attention towards the picture. She still found it hard to believe that she was dating such an amazing guy. Not only was he physically attractive, but his personality was amazing and so compelling.

"So, is he a good kisser?" Zatanna asked, watching as a slight blush colored Artemis' cheeks. However, before she could reply, Aqualad's voice cut her off.

"Cheshire has been sighted along with her new sidekick, Charon. Batman wishes for us to investigate and find out what they are up to." Their team leader said.

* * *

"Artemis!" Aqualad yelled at the archer, who shot an arrow. She let out a yell as the guy turned and dodged the arrow. She turned towards the rest of the Team, who were busy fighting off Cheshire's little helpers. Cheshire herself had decided to spar with Roy.

Artemis saw Cheshire, who was now sitting on Roy's chest, effectively pinning him. However, he managed to throw her off of him before getting to his feet.

Artemis turned her attention back towards Charon, who was moving closer to the edge of the building, and began to run after him, shooting arrows as she did so. He dodged each one before he turned and motioned for Artemis to approach him.

Growling, Artemis let out a yell and ran towards him. She threw a punch, which he caught. However, he didn't notice her knee until it hit him in the stomach. He doubled over, giving her to perfect opportunity to throw a punch.

Unfortunately, he was quick and managed to dodge the punch. Straightening, he smirked at her, reminding her of someone. But, she pushed that from her mind and threw a punch. He moved backwards and did a roundhouse kick, which she dodged. Crouching, she delivered a low kick, knocking him off his feet.

Not wasting time, she jumped and pinned him down.

"What do you want?" She yelled as she drew her arrow back, which was aimed at his face.

"Not like other girls, are you?" He chuckled at her, watching as her eyes widened in surprise. Taking advantage of her momentary shock, he lifted his right shoulder from the ground and delivered a hit to her.

Quickly, he got to his feet, straightening at the same time Artemis did.

"I should have known you were too good to be real." She spit as she pointed the arrow at his chest. He gave her a mock sad look before chuckling.

"Nothing personal, babes. It's just that Daddy thought you'd be more _willing _to join if you got some more _persuasion_." He smirked at her.

"You dirty bastard." She hissed before she launched herself forward. However, she forgot that he was standing close to the ledge.

"Shit!" She yelled before they both went over the side of the building, dropping towards the water below.

"Artemis!" Roy heard Megan yell and turned in time to see the archer throw herself after Charon and, unfortunately, over the edge of the building. There was water below and he knew that the archer couldn't swim very well.

Without wasting time, he ran to the side of the building and dived. As he looked around for her underwater, he caught sight of two figure struggling. He realized one was Artemis and the other looked like Charon, who was now unmasked. The Greek god managed to break out of her grasp and pushed her away before he swam away.

Red Arrow swam towards Artemis and grabbed her around the waist. She turned and hit him before she realized who it was. He motioned up with his head and they swam to the surface.

Just as they burst out of the water and drew breath, Artemis caught sight of Charon not too far away, his face fully exposed.

"Artemis!" Roy turned and saw the rest of the Team leaning over the side of the building. Surprise crossed Megan's and Zatanna's faces as they saw who the mysterious Charon was.

"Well, this was fun babes. I'll see you later." Charon smiled at Artemis before winking at her. Artemis let out a growl before she pushed away from Red Arrow and began swimming towards Charon, who was laughing.

"Don't forget our date tomorrow." He said before he disappeared, blowing a kiss at Artemis as he did so.

"Damn it!" Artemis yelled as she reached the spot where he was just at.

"I thought you couldn't swim." Red said as he helped a pissed off Artemis out of the water.

"I learned." She replied in a tight voice as she pulled her hand away. Without another word, she turned and began to walk away.

"I see you saw who Charon was." Roy said uncertainly, watching as she stopped and tensed up.

"Yes. Aren't you happy I made such a fool of myself?" She asked, looking over her shoulder. However, she didn't give him a chance to reply.

"He got away. I failed." She said as she walked past the rest of the Team, who had just arrived.

They looked from her to Red Arrow, who was just standing there with an unreadable expression on his face.

"What happened?" Wally asked, looking at Artemis who was already a good distance away.

"Nothing." Red Arrow replied before he too turned and began to walk away.

However, he knew that the rest of the Team had seen the unmasked Charon judging from the looks both Megan and Zatanna sent in Artemis' direction.

* * *

"Mom! I'm home." Artemis yelled as she walked into the apartment. She slipped out of her shoes before she headed towards her room and plopped down on her bed. She buried her head in her pillow and sighed.

She felt so stupid and angry. She had let Dimitris make a proper idiot out of her. She should have known that something was up. There was no way a guy like that would have just approached her and struck up a conversation with her. She didn't ooze sex appeal as her sister did.

But, she hadn't bothered to question it. After all, she had been on a break and didn't need to be in hero mode. Biggest mistake ever!

Not only had she left herself vulnerable, but she had managed to make a proper idiot of herself.

"I need some juice." She mumbled as she pushed herself off the bed and headed outside. However, as she entered the living room, she paused. It was quiet, too quiet.

"Mom!" She called for her mother once again. However, there was still no response from her mother. Artemis turned and headed towards the kitchen. It was almost dinner, so her mother might be in the kitchen, too busy preparing dinner to hear her.

"Mo-" She began as she entered the kitchen before her eyes fell on a letter pinned to the refrigerator.

_Hey babes, sorry about Mommy. I really do like you and we would have been happy. But, you just couldn't give up being a hero, could you? I really didn't want to hurt her. After all, she was so nice to me. But, you know the rules of being a villain. I had to use any means necessary to get the message across to you and this was the easiest. Again, nothing personal. Just following your daddy's orders. And, I'm also kind of pissed about the swollen jaw you gave me.  
-Love, Your 'boyfriend' _

"Shit!" She gasped, knowing that she should have known something was up from the moment she entered the apartment. If she was a good hero, she would have suspected something was not right. She ran back into the living room and noticed the opened window for the first time before she looked around.

She felt her heart stop in her chest as she heard a soft exhale followed by a groan.

"Mom!" Artemis screamed as she ran towards her mother, who was lying on the floor. Her face was deathly white and crimson blood stained the carpet.

"Oh my god! Oh god!" Artemis screamed as she looked at her almost dead mother, panicking. Quickly, she regained control of her head and felt her mother's neck. She still had a pulse but it was weak.

Reaching towards the table, she grabbed the phone and called the hospital.

As she looked at her unmoving mother, she felt bile rise in her throat and had to force herself to swallow. However, she found that her throat had contracted and refused to let her swallow.

Suddenly, she remembered that she was still clutching the letter. Looking down at the crumpled letter, she felt her temper rise, her vision blinded by anger and fury. She had already accepted that Dimitris had played her and betrayed her. But, this time, he went too far. If her mother died, she would personally hunt him down and slowly torture him until he begged for mercy.

She looked towards her mother once again, closing her eyes as she heard the ambulance sirens outside the building.

* * *

Roy looked over at the building as police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck pulled up outside it.

"Artemis." He instantly thought as he saw the paramedics rush into the building along with the police officers. Quickly, he left his hiding place and ran down to where the crowd was gathered.

"What's the problem?" He asked as he approached an officer.

"Break in and assault." Roy's eyes grew wide at the officer's words. Assault?

His mind automatically flashed to Artemis. Someone assaulted her? Who?

He turned towards the door of the building as the paramedics wheeled someone out. His eyes began to move towards the bed before he saw Artemis emerge from the building, following the paramedics.

"If she hadn't been assaulted, then wh-" He wondered before his eyes fell on the figure in the bed. Her mother.

He looked at Artemis, who looked angry and lost, almost as if she were in a daze. Her eyes were hard and had an almost glazed look to them. He saw how her fists opened and closed as she spoke to an officer before she turned and headed into the ambulance.

* * *

"She's been in the training room for almost 3 hours now." Black Canary looked at Green Arrow, who sighed. Both Green Arrow and Batman had arrived not too long ago after visiting Artemis' mother at the hospital.

"Artemis has difficulty coping with stress and she doesn't exactly trust people. Even when she's stressed out, she isolates herself and is stubborn. Above all, she hates pity from others and prefers to deal with things her way. By training and exercising until the pain is numb." Green Arrow said, shaking his head. He knew how she was.

She had almost passed out from over exertion once before because of her stubbornness. She had almost killed herself, choosing to exercise and bottling her emotions instead of telling someone about her problems.

"How many days has she been like that?" Batman asked, looking at Black Canary and the Team.

"About 3 days now. She didn't come here for the first 2 days. When she did come here, she didn't talk to anyone. She just went straight to the training room and stayed there for almost 5 or 6 hours. Ollie, that amount of training is too much for anyone, no matter what his or her endurance is like." Dinah replied, shaking her head.

Red Arrow's eyes widened in surprise at Dinah's words. He knew that Artemis had been vigorously training, but he had no idea that she had been training so long. Even he had never trained as long or as vigorously as that.

Evidently, Batman found it surprising as his eyes widened slightly as well.

"Yeah, she's been going straight to the training room after she gets back from visiting her mother at the hospital and she just stays in there for hours." Robin said.

"Speaking of which, how is her mom doing?" Black Canary asked, looking over at Batman and Green Arrow.

"Much better." Ollie finally replied, sighing and shaking his head.

"So, why is she still killing herself?" Wally asked, gesturing towards the training room.

"Because Artemis is stubborn. And," Ollie paused at this, unsure whether he should continue or not.

"What?" The Team asked, watching as GA and Batman exchanged a look and an uncertain look crossed Ollie's face.

"Ollie, what is it?" Dinah asked, worry creeping into her voice.

"Dimitris was the one who attacked her mother." He replied, watching as everyone's eyes widened and Megan and Zatanna both gasped.

"Are you sure?" Dinah finally asked after the shock wore off.

"We searched the apartment and found a letter from him. Apparently, Artemis found it as well." Batman replied.

"So, she's out for revenge?" Red Arrow suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. All eyes turned towards him before moving back to Green Arrow as he answered.

"No, not exactly. Artemis is a bit, a bit complicated." Green Arrow replied, unsure how to explain it.

"I know Artemis. She's not going to kill him or anything. That's why she's in the training room. She's finding an outlet for all of her extra anger." He finally said, although he knew it still didn't explain everything about Artemis' method of coping.

"So, she's basically gonna train until all her anger's gone or until she collapses from exhaustion?" Dick asked, looking from Batman to Green Arrow.

"Basically." Green Arrow replied as he nodded.

"Why don't you talk to her then? You know, before sh-" Wally began before Zatanna elbowed him in the ribs, shutting him up.

"Ow, what did you do tha-" He groaned, rubbing his ribs before Megan cut him off.

"Hey Artemis." Megan smiled as she waved towards the archer. Everyone, including Red Arrow, turned towards the archer as she entered the room.

"Artemis." Green Arrow breathed, looking at the girl. He noticed both Batman and Dinah tense up beside him. Artemis was dressed in a black tank top and loose black sweats. However, she looked miserable. Obviously, she hadn't slept for a while as shown from the dark shadows under her eyes. She looked tired and thinner, but she stood rigid, her eyes hard and colder than usual.

His eyes fell on her arm, which had a gash and was bleeding.

"Hello." Artemis greeted the three adults before she turned towards the rest of the Team, who were all looking at her and the blood from her wound.

"What?" She asked in a harsh tone, causing them to shake their heads and look away.

"Artemis, are you oka?" Green Arrow asked, causing her to look towards him as she grasped her bleeding arm.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" She hastily replied, her tone almost menacing. However, she knew he was referring to her bleeding arm. Dinah sensed that her temper was beginning to flare and decided to intervene.

"No reason. We were just worried and you're blee-" Dinah began before Artemis stopped her with a yell.

"Well, you can stop worrying about me! I don't need anyone to worry about me! I'm fine, just as I always am! Understand?" She yelled before she turned and stormed past them heading towards the tube.

"Recognized Artemis B07." The Computer said before she was transported out of Mount Justice.

"That clearly did not go well." Batman said, the first to recover from Artemis' violent outburst.

"Damn it! She's so damn stubborn that she'd rather crash and burn than allow someone to help her." Ollie growled before he turned and headed towards the tube.

"Where are you going? Ollie, you know she won't listen to you. Not in her condition." Dinah said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He stopped before letting out a dejected exhale.

"You're right." He replied, sadly shaking his head.

* * *

Red Arrow watched as Artemis struggled to wrap the gauze around her arm.

"Need help?" Artemis leapt to her feet as the figure emerged from the shadow.

"Whoa, easy Tigress. I won't bite." Roy smirked at her, earning himself a glare.

"What do you want?" She spit, her tone cold and face stoic.

"I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by." He replied with a careless shrug of his shoulder.

"Yeah, right. You don't even live in Gotham. Ollie sent you, didn't he?" She gave a humorless laugh before scoffing and turning away.

"He might have. Or I might have come on my own." Roy replied, earning himself a laugh.

"Well, regardless of why you came, you can leave now. And tell Ollie I don't need a babysitter." She said before she stood and headed towards the bathroom.

However, Roy's arm shot out and grabbed her uninjured hand, pulling her back into him. Effortlessly, he spun her around and effectively pinned her against the wall.

"What's with the sudden I-don't-need-anyone attitude?" He asked as he leaned towards her. Her stormy gray eyes widened slightly from his closeness before they returned to their previous unemotional state.

"It's not sudden. I've been alone since I was 9. Except for my mom, I had no one else to watch out for me or give a damn about me." She replied bitterly before turning away. Roy's eyes widened slightly before he raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I would have thought you'd have friends in high places." She turned back towards him, anger blazing in her eyes.

"My only friends are the ones back at Mount Justice. You can either choose to accept it or not. Now, get out." She spit, attempting to get herself out of his grasp. However, he managed to keep her still and leaned in closer so that their noses were almost touching.

"You're really not the mole, are you?" He suddenly asked, causing her eyes to widen. Without warning, he let her go before clearing his throat.

"Get the first aid kit so I can patch you up." He said gruffly before he turned away. A dazed Artemis looked at him before she turned to retrieve the first aid kit.

* * *

Roy didn't know why he was still monitoring her activity. Sure, the first time was because Green Arrow had asked him to stop by and make sure she was okay. He had only meant to make sure that she was home but had somehow ended up in her apartment, patching up her wound from her training.

However, tonight was important since Green Arrow had gotten word that Charon was sighted not too far from where Artemis lived. Needless to say, Artemis had gotten the information as well, which was why she was waiting in the shadows.

He watched as she leaned against the building, blending in with the shadows. Suddenly, she straightened and pushed herself from the shadows, her bow and arrow drawn.

He knew from the look on her face and the tenseness in her body that Charon had arrived.

"Well, hello babes. Ready for our second date?" He heard the bastard greet her, a smirk in his voice.

"The only thing I'm going to do is make you suffer." Artemis growled, her fingers tightening around her arrow and bow. He could see her hands shaking with rage and anger. Charon, however, seemed unaffected as he leaned against the building, the smirk obvious on his face.

"And you're going to do this? You? Artemis, babes, don't make me laugh." He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"You won't even hurt a fly. Not even for your mom." He remarked, watching as her eyes grew wide.

"Bastard!" She yelled as she launched herself at him. However, he dodged and managed to grab her arm and hurled her into a wall.

"I thought you'd be a challenge. I'm disappointed." He sighed in mock disappointment as he shook his head.

"I wouldn't be so relieved if I were you." A voice suddenly said before Dimitris flew backwards into the wall.

"Son of a bitch." Dimitris growled as he straightened and rubbed his jaw.

"Well, if it isn't Red Arrow. Come to help your little archer?" He smirked at the red archer, earning himself a glare and another punch.

"Hate to cut our fight short, but I don't need you." Dimitris said as he dodged a punch. He dodged another before throwing a bomb.

"Red!" Artemis yelled, her eyes growing wide as she saw Red Arrow get thrown against the wall as the bomb exploded.

"Oh no you don't! I need you!" Charon yelled as Artemis began to run towards the fallen Red Arrow. Artemis let out a yell as she felt a needle lodge itself in her neck.

"Artemis!" Red Arrow opened his eyes in time to see Artemis collapse. He quickly got to his feet and began to run towards the unconscious Artemis and Charon.

"See you later." Charon smirked as he threw the unconscious Artemis over his shoulder before he threw another bomb.

"Damn it!" Red Arrow yelled as the smoke cleared. All that was left of Charon and Artemis was ice.

* * *

Sooo, what do you guys think? Reviews are appreciated! I'm just going to warn you guys. I'm a huge drama queen, so expect A LOT of DRAMA in upcoming chapters from deaths to addictions to other surprises! But, continue reading and enjoy!  
-DramaQueen95


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